Shirakawa-go (5)

"I ended up having a short talk with Amaterasu about everything that's going on. She decided to help out," Yasushi said, turning toward Nandini. Her expression betrayed her confusion. "You've got the most knowledge about the supernatural among us. When you look at me, do you notice anything different?"

Nandini frowned, tilting her head as she studied him carefully. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she gasped, drawing everyone's attention.

"What? What's wrong?" Yunxue asked, her voice betraying her unease as her eyes darted between Nandini and Yasushi.

"You… Can you use ki? H-how did that happen? It takes ages to build up enough life force to open the right pathways. Wait — don't tell me someone else opened them for you!" Nandini exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief.

Yasushi gave a short nod, his expression calm but confident. "Yeah, Amaterasu did it. I get it; it's risky. But she's a chief goddess, so I trusted her judgment. Anyway, between this and the training I've managed to put myself through over the past few days, I'm pretty sure I can stand up to that man now," he said, a grin tugging at his lips.

Nandini stared at Yasushi for a few moments, her expression unreadable as if trying to piece together a puzzle. Yasushi raised his right arm and allowed a trace of ki to flow from his body. The energy glowed, its colors merging into a mix of orange and purple, an unusual combination that seemed distinct to him. After a few seconds, he let it fade, a grin spreading across his face. It was the first time he'd ever used something that felt like real "power."

"Whoa… that looks awesome! I want to learn how to do that," Xinyi said, her excitement plain as she watched him intently. "Will you teach me?"

"Maybe later, once things settle down," Yasushi replied, lowering his arm. "Amaterasu taught me after I went through some intense training with her, but your path will take more time. Mine wasn't natural — it was done by force," he admitted.

He exhaled, pushing himself to his feet. "Alright, enough of that. Let's focus on relaxing tonight, figure out our next steps for dealing with those two, and plan how we're going to rebuild the bakery," he said, looking around the group.

There was a moment of hesitation, but eventually, they all nodded, agreeing to his suggestion. They spent the rest of the evening unwinding, preparing themselves mentally for the challenges ahead.

+-+

The next day passed uneventfully, but Yasushi and the group made significant progress on restoring the bakery-restaurant. By the end of the day, the entire exterior had been repaired, and half of the ground floor interior was back in order. 

The work could have been completed earlier, but Yasushi had been absent for most of the prior day. Determined to make up for lost time, he tackled twice as much work as usual. He quietly enhanced his strength by channeling ki, which allowed him to move faster and lift heavier loads without tiring.

He had also discovered something else about the ring Fujin had given him — it dramatically reduced the consumption of both magic and ki by half and boosted their regeneration rate by the same margin.

The combination made it feel almost unfair. He could push himself to his limits repeatedly, knowing the ring would lessen the strain and help him recover quickly. Yasushi had learned that Fujin had invested a great deal of money, effort, and his own power into crafting the ring.

Its significance wasn't lost on him, as it was said to be one of the strongest artifacts in existence. For that, Yasushi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude.

"We should be able to finish everything tomorrow and reopen the bakery," Yasushi said, leaning back against the sofa. "The only thing left to handle now is Kuroti himself. Nino seems pretty satisfied with what we've done for his shop." The group sat scattered around the living room, eating and drinking as the evening carried on at its own pace.

"Okay, now teach us!" Xinyi exclaimed, her energy spilling out as she sat cross-legged, rocking back and forth impatiently.

Yasushi rubbed his temples and exhaled. "Amaterasu explained it to me like this: the safest way is to absorb the energy in your surroundings. It's the hardest step because you need to figure out how to sense it yourself. That part? I can't help you. It's all on you."

He paused, watching her excitement turn into bewilderment. "The other option," he added, "is to have someone force their own ki into you to jumpstart the process. But — and I can't stress this enough — you need to be a master for that to work without something going wrong. I'm far from being one, so that's not happening."

Xinyi blinked at him, the gears in her head turning. "Feel…the energy around me? What the hell does that even mean?" Her confusion was almost tangible as she frowned, clearly struggling to make sense of the explanation.

Nandini spoke up, her voice calm but deliberate. "Picture yourself underwater. You're asked to stay there, sitting still. You can hold your breath for a long time, but not forever. Everything around you is water — that's life force. You can't just take it in, though, or you'll drown. What you have to do is figure out a way to transform that water into air so you can breathe it naturally. Everyone finds their own method of doing this, their own way of absorbing the life force that exists in the world."

Xinyi's expression twisted into something between understanding and frustration. "I… think I kind of get it? But that sounds insanely complicated. Does it involve just sitting around meditating all day or something?"

"No," Nandini replied, shaking her head. "That's not how it worked for me. When my channels opened, I was buried under a mountain of paperwork Lord Shiva needed done. I was stressed and exhausted, and suddenly, it just happened. I started pulling in the life force on my own. I didn't even notice until the next day when he told me. Some people unlock it in ways even stranger than that."

"Alright, let's give it a shot!" Xinyi declared, shutting her eyes tightly as though sheer determination would get her there faster.

"That's not how this works," Nandini reminded her, voice calm but firm. "Trying harder isn't going to speed it up. It has to happen naturally, in a way that's unique to you." She didn't press further, though — it was clear Xinyi wasn't listening anymore, fully engrossed in her attempt.

Jingliu, Yunxue, Layena, and Catherine exchanged glances before following suit, settling into their spots and focusing. Each of them seemed to approach it differently, adjusting their posture or settling their breathing, as though trying to unlock something hidden within. Yasushi leaned back in his chair, his expression a mix of amusement and mild disbelief at their determination. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he watched them.

Bringing his left hand up, Yasushi examined it silently. His fingers flexed a little, almost as though testing the strength within. A memory surfaced — Amaterasu's parting words to him before he'd stepped out of her domain.

"Yasushi. Your body isn't like anyone else's. Neither is your strength. You achieved something no human has managed in twenty thousand years. But remember this — if you lose control of your ki, even in its simplest form, such as body enhancement, you could take a life without meaning to. So, whatever you do, hold back."

Yasushi snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a thud breaking the quiet. His head turned to locate the source, landing on Xinyi sprawled out on the floor, completely unconscious. It didn't take long to notice the soft rise and fall of her chest — she was asleep.

"She just… fell asleep?" Jingliu mumbled, eyebrows furrowing as confusion crossed her face. "And she's the one who was so insistent on doing this! Unbelievable…"

"Haha, let her rest," Yasushi said, his tone light as he waved off her concern. "We've put in a lot of work already. Besides, like I said earlier, tomorrow should be the final stretch. Once we're through that, we'll be ready to open the day after. After the grand reopening, the focus will be on getting Kuroti back in shape."

Yunxue exhaled, her hands pressing lightly against her knees as she stood. "Yeah, makes sense. Nandini's right — this isn't something we can force. Since we've started trying to absorb the life force around us, it'll happen naturally when it's supposed to."

Stretching her arms over her head, she continued, "Anyway, I'm starving. I'm gonna go cook something before I keel over." Her footsteps were unhurried as she headed toward the kitchen, a few others trailing behind her, clearly sharing her sentiment.

+-+

By the time the next day had reached its midpoint, Yasushi had spent most of the morning sweeping the floors and moving between the lower and upper levels of the restaurant. He focused on cleaning and setting up the upstairs section, carefully following the detailed instructions given by Xinyi and Jingliu. Yunxue and Layena worked alongside him, while the others handled tasks in other parts of the building.

"I wish I'd had a chance to use that flamethrower the other day. It looked badass," Yunxue remarked, hauling another stack of chairs to their designated spots.

"Not exactly something you get to handle often. I wouldn't have minded giving it a shot myself," Layena replied, adjusting the placement of a table with a thoughtful expression.

Their conversation tapered off when they noticed Yasushi standing completely still, his focus locked on something outside. The broom he had been using rested in his hands, forgotten. Sensing something unusual, Yunxue and Layena stepped closer, their eyes following his line of sight.

Not far away, Kuroti stood, his posture rigid, speaking with two unfamiliar individuals. Every part of his demeanor suggested caution, as though he wanted to keep the interaction out of sight from anyone who might be watching.

He fumbled with his hands, his fingers restlessly twitching as he spoke. After a few awkward seconds, he glanced up, only to catch Yasushi's intense stare. The sight startled him, his reaction an obvious flinch. Without saying anything more, he hurried off with the two others trailing behind him.

"It's happening soon, then. They might plan the attack on the same day we're reopening the bakery-restaurant," he said, his voice low yet firm. "He didn't like me back then, and I doubt that's changed now that he knows about the supernatural. We'll talk more during lunch, alright?" Both girls nodded in agreement, their expressions serious.

Returning to their tasks, Yunxue and Layena seemed uneasy, their movements lacking the usual confidence. They'd overheard fragments of conversations about the Yang family's darker activities before, though much of it felt more like rumors than solid fact.

While they couldn't imagine Yinhaie being involved in anything deadly, they had their suspicions about Anfeng and Heinz. The thought hung uncomfortably in the back of their minds as they worked.

+-+

"Are you certain about this?" Yasushi asked, his focus locked on Nandini. 

After lunch, following their earlier conversation, Nandini had taken him out to the back. The area looked far better than it had when they began restoring the shop. 

"Yes," she said. "I'll try something tonight. It won't stop them completely, but it might disrupt them just enough. By tomorrow, they won't be able to carry out their plan. Think of it as breaking their momentum rather than destroying them outright." 

"Do you need backup?" Yasushi asked. 

"…How confident are you with your control over ki?" she countered. The question didn't carry any judgment but sounded like genuine curiosity. "I've never seen you use it before. The most I've noticed is you meditating to build your energy and reserves. That's not exactly the same thing." 

Instead of answering directly, Yasushi asked, "How long was I gone that day?" 

She looked confused. "Excuse me?" 

"You heard me," he said, repeating the question without elaborating. She paused, clearly trying to think back. 

"I believe… around sixteen hours. Why do you ask?" 

"Then I spent about sixteen days training with Amaterasu," Yasushi began, his voice calm but firm. "I worked on boosting my ki's strength and output. I'm not claiming to be a master or anything, but with how different my body is, combined with the progress I've made, I think I can manage myself decently enough." He raised his hand and allowed his ki to envelop it, creating a faint glow around his fingers that pulsed with controlled energy.

Nandini studied him carefully before speaking. "Alright. I'll bring you along, but you need to stay cautious. Like you've said before, while you're okay with being involved in this world, you don't want to dive too deeply into it. Gaining control over ki pushes you further into this reality. There's a lot in this world that's… unsettling, things that can weigh on you heavily. Just remember to stay careful." Her tone carried a trace of concern.

"I understand," Yasushi replied, lowering his hand. "I'm only doing this so I can protect myself. I'm not about to start shouting, 'I want to be the strongest!' or anything ridiculous like that. Trust me, I know my limits." 

Nandini nodded, though her worry didn't seem to fade entirely. Her expression softened only slightly, as though she wanted to say more but decided against it for now.

After some more back-and-forth, the discussion about their plans for the upcoming night continued. They settled on the details of the raid, figuring out the specifics of how they would proceed. Once they were finished, the group got to work, helping with the remaining tasks around the bakery-restaurant.

Just like Yasushi predicted, they were able to repair and clean everything up. It had been a long day, but by the time they finished, the place was almost as good as new. Tomorrow afternoon, they would hold the grand reopening for the bakery-restaurant that Nino had originally run. It was a fresh start for everyone involved.